'The Killing' Sets Season 3 Premiere Date

AMC's hard-to-kill drama "The Killing" will return for a third season June 2 at 8 p.m. with a two-hour premiere, the network said Friday.

The third season of the series began production in February. The show, which was initially canceled by AMC a month after its second season ended but was eventually renewed in January, has added new cast members for its upcoming run. Peter Sarsgaard, Elias Koteas and Amy Seimetz are joining returning cast members Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman.

The 12-episode new season of "The Killing" will pick up a year after Rosie Larsen's murder case -- which dominated the first two seasons -- is closed. Sarah Linden (Enos) is no longer a detective but finds herself drawn back into the world of crime-solving when her partner's search for a runaway girl leads him to discover a gruesome string of murders that connects to a previous murder investigation by Linden.

"The Killing" averaged 1.9 million total viewers over its first two seasons. However, the June 2012 second-season finale fell off in the ratings from its first season finale, drawing 1,9 million total viewers compared to the 2.3 million that tuned in to the series' Season Two finale.